ArHi FF: Journey To Love CH 4 PG 27 *SEPT 11*- Page 6

CHAPTER 2: THE WAR IS ON

Shock was an understatement what Khushi felt right now. Crushes are a part of one's growing years. But love? Love was something deep. She knew what she felt for Arnav was a crush. Her teenage hormones were overflowing. That's the reason she felt her heart flutter when he was in front of her. A sigh would always escape in her mind no matter how irritating he was. But her sister was in LOVE. Was she crazy? Is that even an age to be in love? For Christ's sake, she is in grade 6. Khushi was still lost in her own musings when she heard her sister speak.

"Di, are you alright?"

Khushi looked at her sister in disbelief, "what grade are you in to be in love?"

Meera gasped, "What has age got to do with falling in love? I am in love. That's it"

"And whom are you in love with?" Khushi asked curiously. Meera smiled and blushed, "there is a guy" Khushi slapped her forehead, "I am happy that you are in love with a guy but what I mean was who that guy is. What is his name?" Meera looked down and smiled, "Akshay"

"Akshay, who?"

"Akshay Singh Raizada" She said meekly and at the same time blushing. Khushi widened her eyes, "you are in love with a Raizada?

What's with all Guptas?

Khushi muttered the last line under her breath. Meera nodded while Khushi rolled her eyes, "wait, he is bratty Raizada's cousin, right? No, scratch that, he is two years older to you. No, even scratch that. He is my classmate. You are in love with my classmate?" Khushi yelled while Meera smiled.

"Where did you meet him?" khushi asked, "He was absent today as he wasn't well"

Meera gasped, "He isn't well? That's why he was missing? I thought...I thought he is avoiding me" Khushi shook her head, "will you start from the start? I don't understand. Where did you meet him?"

Meera smiled shyly, "you remember two weeks ago I fell at the playground in the school?" Khushi nodded. Meera continued, "I was crying as it was paining a lot. My knee was bleeding. So, Akshay came forward to help. While I was crying, he took me to the first aid room. He cleaned my wounds and bandaged it"

"So?"

"So I fell in love. He is very caring."

Khushi rolled her eyes, "he bandaged your leg because that was a part of our social education practical. He was assigned first aid room that day"

"May be di. But when he was bandaging my knee, I felt something-something in my stomach"

"Huh?"

"Yes di. And from that day, I see him every day after school near library. He is always with his friends. But he never fails to smile at me. And that time, I always feel something-something in my stomach"

"What's something-something?" Khushi asked.

"I don't know. Just something-something" Meera sighed dreamily. Khushi chuckled and shook her head. Her sister had developed her first crush ever.

...

Arnav was working on his new shiny sleek laptop when he heard a knock on his door. He got down from his bed and opened the door. He saw his father Arvind Singh Raizada standing in front of him. Arvind was a self-made rich man, the owner of one of biggest textiles company, Raizada groups who loved his family to bits. He had returned from a business trip after a week.

"Dad!" Arnav exclaimed in joy and hugged him, "you are back"

"I am definitely back" He said while entering the room, "how are you? I hope you didn't trouble Anju and Akshay, especially your mother" Arnav snorted, "trouble and me? Never"

"Really? That's why you landed into detention"

"What the"

"Language, Arnav" Arvind said sternly to his son. Arnav sighed, "Sorry. But why is everyone so excited about my detention?"

Arvind chuckled, "because I had left the hope of my son having a normal childhood. I thought I will always find you surrounded with books but when I heard about detention, I couldn't control myself. The first thing I did was meet you. My son is finally having a normal childhood"

"I am not a child, dad"

"I am sorry. I meant his teenage hood." He laughed. Arnav looked at his father in disbelief, "I thought fathers feel unhappy when their children get into trouble"

"Of course they are unhappy unless their child is Arnav Singh Raizada"

"DAD!!" Arnav whined while Arvind patted his shoulder and left his room

...

Arnav was playing his play station furiously. He had got detention. All thanks to certain Gupta. What the hell did she think of herself? No one messes with Arnav Singh Raizada and gets away. He had to do something. But what? He was still wondering what his next step would be when he saw his cousin enter his room wrapped in lots of woolens.

"You got detention?"

Arnav rolled his eyes. What's with his family, "so? Big deal"

"It's definitely a big deal. Bhai, you got detention. YOU"

"Shut up"

"But Bhai"

"Akshay, leave"

"But"

"Get out"

"But"

"GET OUT"

Akshay flinched hearing his voice and ran away. Arnav glared nowhere in particular, "Gupta, you are so in trouble"

...

Shashi Gupta was a proud man. Power, money, name, fame, you name it and he has it. But along with this, he had lost a lot things. His professional life might be reaching heights but his personal life was a mess. There was a time when he had a doting wife but with time, things started changing.

He walked into his son's room first. Sameer was sleeping sitting on his study table with his head onto the books that laid open on the table. Shashi looked at his son with little tears in his eyes. He was never able to give the time, the love his son deserved. He had always been busy. Today, he regretted the time he lost. But for some reason, he couldn't take a step first towards his son to correct his mistake, "I am sorry, beta. I am so sorry" He closed the night lamp and kissed his hair.

Shashi walked into his daughters' room next. Khushi was sleeping hugging Meera while Meera hugged Khushi and her teddy. They were his princesses but he was never able to form the special bond with his daughters that fathers usually have. He knew Sameer had stepped into his shoes. He looked after his two angels. He kissed both of them, "I love you both my princesses." He wiped a lone tear that threatened to fall and walked away closing the door quietly.

...

Next day

School had always been the favorite place for Khushi. She saw her best friend Lavanya running towards her, "I was gone for one day and you got into detention with your lusty boy"

"Hello to you too, la. And please stop using such words. It makes me puke" Khushi said making a face. Lavanya ignored her comment, "so tell me, how was it? Did you enjoy?"

"Of course. If arranging books in alphabetical order in library means fun, then I had a fun of my life time"

"Stop being sarcastic. Why is your mood so down the hill?"

"Down the hill? What the hell is wrong with you? Which dictionary are you referring now a days?"

"Lavanya special" She stuck her tongue out and pulled her away with herself, "class in 5 minutes. Let's go"

...

Khushi entered her classroom laughing over some joke with Lavanya. She was walking towards her seat when something wet hit her face. She stopped in her tracks and touched her face. The moment she touched her face she yelled on top of her voice, "AAAHHH" Her face was covered with ink. She looked next to her and saw Arnav looking at her with his mouth open and at the same time she noticed an ink pen in his hand, "ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA"

The moment Khushi yelled his name he burst out laughing along with the whole class. Khushi glared at everyone and then pointed a finger at Arnav, "what the hell did you do? You ruined my face. Forget face, you ruined my uniform too"

"Damn! I didn't see you" Arnav said in between his laugh.

"Didn't see me? ME? I know you did this purposely." Khushi yelled. Arnav offered her his kerchief, "here, wipe your face and then wash it"

"Khushi that was a mistake. Bhai didn't do it purposely", Akshay tried to interfere.

"First he ruins my dress and then he has an audacity to offer me your kerchief" Khushi saw Akshay looking at her wide his mouth wide open," and you (pointing her finger at him) stay out of it, chicken"

"I am not a chicken" Akshay said.

"Yes you are" she looked at Arnav, "and you are so dead." She saw the ink bottle kept on his bench. She immediately picked it up and threw it on his head uncapping it, "No one messes with Khushi Gupta"

"GUPTAAA" Arnav yelled and picked up his water bottle and emptied it on her head.

"You are so dead" Khushi yelled and she uncapped her bottle. She tried to throw water on Arnav's face when he dodged it. The water hit Akshay's face. Akshay glared at her and threw the water which khushi dodged it. It landed on Lavanya's face.

That's it. Hell broke into the classroom with every single student engaged in water fight. And this is how the class was found by the history professor.

"WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?"

Every student froze on their place. They kept aside every damn thing they had in their hands and looked everywhere but him.

"Who started this?" He asked but there was no response

"I said who started this. I want an answer or be ready to have their 10 marks cut from their exams" But no answered yet again. "I am asking for the last time. Who did this?"

"He started this" khushi said pointing at Arnav. But Arnav immediately defended himself, "no sir. She was the one who emptied the ink bottle first"

"But he was the one who threw the ink first"

"That was a mistake"

"No, I know you did it purposely"

"I didn't. Ask Akshay"

"Why him? He will take your side. He is your brother"

"Gupta you..."

"SHUT UP. Ms. Gupta and Mr. Razaida detention after class in library. See you there. For now, get out of the class" the professor said

"but sir..." both tried to say something but the professor interrupted yet again," I said OUT"

...

"It is all because of you that we are again in this library" Arnav said. Khushi glared at him," you started it. You threw the ink first"

"You know what? Forget it. You joined this school 4 years back. And we are fighting with each other since then but we were never in same class and I used to thank God for this. This year we land in same class, and I get two detentions in a row. You have messed up with a wrong person. You are going to pay for this"

"Definitely. YOU are surely going to pay for this. The war in ON"